The present invention relates generally to a dental handpiece, and more specifically to a dental handpiece adapted to apply dental material to a patient's tooth or teeth and having removable sections.
Dental handpieces for dispensing dental material are well known in the art. For example Charlton (U.S. Pat. No. 6,083,000) and Lewis (U.S. Pat. No. 3,389,3468) are designed to distribute dental material in a controlled fashion. Generally, a predetermined amount of dental material is stored in a reservoir within the handpiece and a longitudinally moving plunger pushes a plug into the reservoir, dispensing the dental material in a controlled fashion. The dental material may be loaded directly within the reservoir or contained within a capsule that is placed within the reservoir.
Although dental handpieces and disposable capsules have become a convenient way to dispense a controlled amount of dental material into a patient's mouth, the handpieces do not necessarily provide the most sterile environment. Though capsules of dental material can be measured for a single patient use, there still may be residue dental material in the handpiece itself after use. Especially when a corkscrew style plunger is used, the handpiece may not be sufficiently cleaned or sterilized between consecutive patients. The dental material is not easily washed out of the devices, and one cannot be certain that the material has been completely removed.
For the foregoing reasons, there is a need for a device that will allow a dentist, hygienist, or a dental assistant to dispense a controlled amount of dental material into a patient's mouth in a manner that is efficient and hygienic.